Thursday, October 27, 2011

New Orleans' airport unveiled the expansion to Concourse D on Thursday. While it may not make Louis Armstrong International "world-class," it's a key step in making it presentable during an 18-month stretch of major events culminating with hosting Super Bowl XLVII in 2013.

Mayor Mitch Landrieu and other regional and airport leaders hailed the $27 million octagonal pod, which features six new gates, a glass pyramid-shaped central skylight and a crisp, airy aesthetic, as an important first step toward the real goal of starting fresh with a passenger terminal on the opposite side of the airport, along Veteran's Boulevard, in time for New Orleans' tercentennial in May 2018.

"This isn't going to make us a world-class airport, but it's something you can be proud of," said aviation board director Iftikhar Ahmad. "Then, the north side is where we're going to teach the world what it's all about."